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June 27, 2009

G74: Red Sox 1, Atlanta 0

Wakefield (6-3-0-1-1, 88) did not allow an Atlanta baserunner to reach third base in the mid-90s Georgia heat, and pocketed his 174th victory as a Red Sock.

After Manny Delcarmen pitched a perfect seventh and got the first out in the eighth, Justin Masterson walked pinch-hitter Matt Diaz. The Big Donkey then wild pitched him to second. A grounder to first put Diaz at third, but Masterson retired Martin Prado on a harmless fly to right.

With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Brian McCann cracked a deep fly ball off Jonathan Papelbon to right-center. Both Jacoby Ellsbury and J.D. Drew called for it near the warning track. Drew gloved the ball and the two fielders collided, but because both of them had nearly come to a stop, there was little nothing more than a chest bump. Garret Anderson followed with a double to left-center on an 0-2 pitch. Bot got Casey Kotchman to ground to second (he directed FY where to throw, a la Sexy Lips) to end the game.

Mark Kotsay drove in the game's only run, with an opposite field single to left. Kevin Youkilis had walked with two outs and David Ortiz followed with a walk of his own. Both passes had Atlanta manager Bobby Cox muttering to himself in the home dugout. Several close calls during both at-bats and the umpires determined that each batter had checked his swing on ball four. Kotsay then knocked Vazquez's 2-2 pitch into left.

Youkilis also singled in the first and tripled in the eighth (capping an 11-pitch AB). Ortiz singled and walked twice. Wakefield lined a single to center in the third.

1911 - In the 7th inning at Huntington Avenue Grounds, the A's Stuffy McInnis steps into the batter's box to lead off and hits Ed Karger's warm-up pitch for an inside-the-park home run while the Red Sox are still taking their positions. Boston manager Patsy Donovan protests to umpire Ben Egan, but Egan rejects the protest on the basis of AL president Ban Johnson's new rule prohibiting warm-up pitches. Johnson's time-saving rule, which declares that pitchers must throw as soon as the batter is in the box, is soon withdrawn.

There have always been complaints that baseball games drag on for too long.

All I remember is we went waayyyyyyyy up, then stopped. And stopped. And...

OK, I've got a couple of guesses, then. Montezooma's Revenge would make the most sense. Other than that, it could be the Xcelerator or Boomerang, though I doubt it. It was a roller coaster, right? Not one of those towers where they just drop you?

He hits nice October dongs, yes, but he doesn't smile -- or kick any water coolers. I don't think he wants to win. It's only a hefty paycheck to him, because he works for Scott Boras - and he's the devil.

Now dirt dogs, that's what we need. Taking shit routes to balls and not catching them, being unable to hit lefties, forgetting the number outs and giving in-play balls to fans, getting picked off second in a daze, injuring his back simply driving on the highway, but man, dirty shirt, grubby pants, grimy cap, gritty facial expressions, why can't we get more guys like that?

Now dirt dogs, that's what we need. Taking shit routes to balls and not catching them, being unable to hit lefties, forgetting the number outs and giving in-play balls to fans, getting picked off second in a daze, injuring his back simply driving on the highway, but man, dirty shirt, grubby pants, grimy cap, gritty facial expressions, why can't we get more guys like that?

Man, it would be impossible to think of one single player that has all those qualities. It sounds a like a fantastic being, like a winged unicorn.